If you are planning your next holiday why not consider Halkidiki in Greece as a destination as it has something for everyone – beautiful beaches, delicious food, diverse cultural experiences and so many interesting historical sights to explore.
Halkidiki, Greece
Where is Halkidiki?
Halkidiki is in Northern Greece and set on a peninsula with three legs: Kassandra, Sithonia and Unesco-protected Mount Athos.
Here you will find beautiful coves and beaches on the edge of the Aegean Sea and some of the world’s most famous archaeological sites.
I would really recommend holidays to Halkidiki as it is a destination which enjoys 250 days of sunshine per year!
How do you get to Halkidiki?
I recommend Flights to Thessaloniki with Jet2 as an airline as my favourite part about those flights are the very generous luggage allowances of 23kg, which if you are an over-packer like me comes in very handy!
THINGS TO DO IN HALKIDIKI
1. Boat trips
As Halkidiki sits on a peninsula I would suggest taking advantage of the beautiful Aegean sea and going on a boat trip to see Halkidiki’s stunning and remote Blue Lagoon, as some parts are only reachable by sea.
Depending on the company you go with you will likely have a swim stop off at Diaporos Island, a light lunch on board and then a visit to the Sithonia Peninsula where you can cool off and swim in the crystal clear water or sunbathe on the stunning beaches!
We went on a Pirate Ship and it was a fun experience.
2.Honey tasting
Greek honey is absolutely delicious and if you get a chance book a honey tasting at a shop called Honey Georgaka in the village of Arnaia where you can try so many different varieties such as pine, chestnut, flowers, orange, lavender, forest and so much more.
3. Old Nikiti
I highly recommend taking a stroll through the town of Old Nikiti.
It is one of only three architecturally preserved villages in Halkidiki and has retained an air of romantic nostalgia, featuring stone Macedonian houses with blossom-filled balconies and courtyards and so many pretty corners.
For some lovely views walk up to St. Nikita’s stone church, which is also so pretty to see.
4. Marianna’s Vineyard
Marianna’s is a family owned organic vineyard in Halkidiki that produces everything from organic vine leaves from their vineyards…except wine!
Marianna Kazakis and her family grow their vines with tender loving care and from hand selected vine leaves they roll Marianna’s Dolmades which are famous all over the country.
As well as delicious Dolmades you can try their amazing pies, Vinetops and Petimezi.
Also on site you can have a tasting of Abelon from Kazakis House of Viticulture, which is an aged organic Grape Spirit and has won many awards.
5. Petralona Cave
A fascinating place to visit is Petralona Cave, which is one of Europe’s most important caves thanks to its wealth of fossils and the discovery of a human scull that dates back approximately 700.000 years.
Apparently they even found evidence an elephant had once been in the cave!
The locals call it “the red-rock cave” due to the colour that the bauxite deposits give to the stone.
6. Beach Bars
I loved the vibes at the beach bars in Halkidiki.
Mare Nostra in Pefkochori is perfect for a leisurely day as you can find a fabulous vibe, great food and plenty of sun loungers here.
For sunset and an evening meal I recommend Ergon Beach House in Nikiti, which is perfect for a sundowner as the sunset is so spectacular.
The food here is also incredible and one of my favourites from my trip.
7. Wine Tasting
Wine tasting at Domaine Agrovision is a must! Located just a few kilometres away from Mount Athos, Domaine Agrovision Winery was established in 2011 and consists of 6,4 hectares of vineyards stretching from the North to the South of Xeropotamos area.
Along with their regular cellars they also have an underwater cellar where they are ageing wine!
Highly recommend booking a winery visit and tasting to learn more about their wine making process and also to soak up the amazing scenery!
8. Try the Food
Greek cuisine is so delicious and you will find plenty of wonderful offerings in Halkidiki to try!
From fresh mussels and other fish-based dishes to cheese pies and the traditional Greek Salad, you will be in heaven here!
If you are a coffee lover the local Freddo is delicious but just to warn you, stronger than the average Frappe.
9. Archaeological Sites
There are so many archaeological sites to visit in Halkidiki and if you are a history lover you will truly find them all really fascinating.
The ancient Stageira is mainly known as the birthplace of the Greek philosopher Aristotle and is located on a small, mountainous and beautiful peninsula, which is called Liotopi. The views from here are outstanding!
10.Visit Athitos village
I love the little villages in Halkidiki and Athitos or Afitos is a fabulous place to get panoramic views of Toroneos Gulf and Sithonia as it is built on a rock of 75m with steep slopes.
It is so pretty and I did a little bit of window shopping here and ended up buying an necklace! There are lots of shops selling everything from olive oil to jewellery!
Where to stay in Halkidiki?
I would recommend looking at several packages by Jet2 as ours was with Blue Dolphin Hotel booked as part of Jet2holidays and I really liked the hotel as it was close to beaches and a great base to explore from.
There are a vast range of amazing packages available for Greece with Jet2holidays so be sure to check them all out!
I was on a hosted press trip but all views are my own.
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